A Bold Revolution: Bringing Commercial Research and Development Advancements to U.S. Military Innovation [Women to Watch]

Abstract

When Francesca Scire-Scappuzzo was awarded the 2019 IEEE Region 1 Managerial Excellence in an Engineering Organization Award last October "for starting a bold revolution in the defense and aerospace industry," she felt many emotions: gratitude, excitement, and pride, above all. She was grateful to the IEEE for the acknowledgment and to the many people she collaborated with along the way. She was excited for the future ahead as part of what she calls "a vibrant innovation ecosystem of universities, small businesses, accelerators, venture capital investors, government representatives, and large corporations, all tirelessly working together in new ways to protect our country and make an impact on society." Then she was proud because this powerful recognition of her work also recognizes a lifelong commitment to taking on challenges that others said would be too difficult as well as a commitment to making an impact on an entire industry.